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Overall opinion: A healing and fulfilling path to self-discovery is what Calista McBride’s guided journal offers to readers. Especially helpful if you have a history of trauma and anxiety.
Disclaimer: I received a free ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Title: Happy to Meet Me: 201+ Self-Discovery Secrets To Power Up Your Self-esteem And Recognize Your Self-Worth. Self-Care Guided Journal with Daily Writing Prompts For Adults
Author: Calista J. McBride
Publisher: Calista J. McBride
Publication date: January 20, 2020
Genres: Nonfiction, Self-Help
Series: N/A
Goodreads: link
Amazon.com: link
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Summary (short & sweet)
It’s a guided journal to self-discovery, self-esteem and self-worth (and I would add, self-therapy) in 201+ prompt-based questions and quotes to stimulate reflection and an honest looking within to bring out your real, unique self, with your unique needs and views. The journal is designed for adults but it can be helpful for teens, too, and anyone who has gone through bullying, trauma of any kind and/or suffers from anxiety.
Edition (Paperback)
If you choose the print version of the book, Happy to Meet Me is a self-published paperback through Amazon’s CreateSpace with a lovely soft cover that was professionally designed to inspire calmness and meditation.
The Backstory for My Happy to Meet Me Book Review
Calista McBride got in touch with me via email to offer, should I be interested, the EPUB version of Happy to Meet Me.
Since I’m more than happy to accept nonfiction works for review from time to time, and given the importance of such a book for a person like me who struggles with severe anxiety, I said ‘yes’ and I started reading a few days later.
Well… I wasn’t disappointed! The book totally conquered me and when I arrived at the end of the EPUB, I itched to start a notebook to journal based on the guided prompts.
Shortly before I scheduled this review for publication, I bookstagrammed the book:
I’m so happy to bring you this book review, at last!
Find it below.
The Actual Happy to Meet Me Book Review
A path to self-discovery and self-healing
The reader, pen in hand, is the true protagonist of this journal and leads the scene, page after page, on the path of self-discovery and healing.
I experienced that myself when I bought a print copy of the journal and started to fill it with my thoughts.
The book accomplishes on its promise
And beautifully so.
The prompt-based system is a great idea: it takes the “thinking about a topic” job out of mind and helps to focus on writing what matters, looking inside to uncover parts of yourself that you need to put before your eyes in order to take action and better your life.
On the tone of the book and writing style
The tone is encouraging, in a gentle way. It reminded me of a caress from an affectionate mother.
McBride’s style is simple and engaging, enriched with quotes from famous authors as a motivational push to initiate reflection and journal based on the prompt.
On the author
Calista J. McBride is an astounding researcher and a person of great empathy.
No, I don’t know her personally. It’s what it comes out from the book and the amount of thorough research she used to make it great.
As she states in the author’s blurb, Calista is a former middle school teacher and you can tell from the gentle guidance she provides in the book, to help readers to shine from within and work toward making their life happier, more meaningful and fulfilled.
Conclusion of My Happy to Meet Me Book Review & Personal Comments
I fell in love with the book, finding it extremely healing for me, so much that I itched to have my own print copy to write on. In fact, I went to Amazon and placed a purchase.
The book you see in the photo above and in the other photo in this post is, indeed, the one I bought.
Reading Recommendations
For another healing book (not a journal) that I loved, you can read I Am Enough by Grace Byers and Keturah A. Bobo.
This is a book for children and it’s meant to be a healing aid for those who went through bullying and are struggling with self-esteem.
Thanks for reading my Happy to Meet Me book review! Let me know your thoughts on the book in the comments. Have you read it?
Are you an indie author or a publisher with a self-help/mental health empowerment book that needs a review? Feel free to contact me! I’ll take a look and see if I can read and review it. 🙂
